Napolitano Suggests End of Airport Shoe Removal May Be Near
But Homeland Security secretary says liquid restrictions will likely stay in place for foreseeable future.
| Posted Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011, at 12:15 PM
Travelers will eventually be able to keep their shoes on as they pass through airport security, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano suggested Tuesday morning.
“We are moving towards an intelligence and risk-based approach to how we screen,” she said during a Washington forum. "I think one of the first things you will see over time is the ability to keep your shoes on."
Politico notes that Napolitano did not elaborate on what new technology would allow travelers to keep their shoes on and, likewise, did not provide a timeline on when the change would be made.
While an end to the frustrating shoe-removal practice may be in the works, there is little sign that TSA will end its restrictions on carrying liquids onboard flights. Napolitano said that those restrictions will be "one of the last things" that will be lifted.
